Game apparatus.



' PATENTED` OCT. 30, 19,06.

E. PAHL. GAME APPARATUS. Annunci num JULY ze. 1905.

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" longitudinal designed particularly spaced EUGENE FAHL, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

ippiiaaon sied July 26,1905. serai No. 271.348.

`To a/ZZ whom it may concern,-

' Be it known that I, EUGENE FAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevational'view of my improved game apparatus, partof the ballrunway being omitted. Fig, 2 is a plan view of saidapparatus. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the rear end ofthe apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in game apparatusof a character similar to cocked hat and tenpins, and is as animprovement upon the apparatus shown and described in United StatesLetters granted to me April 11, 1905.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof the several parts, all as will be hereinafter described and afterwardpointed out in the claims.

In the-drawings there is a platform 1, upon which the bowler stands todeliver the ball onto a runway 2. Suspended above this runway by asuitable framework is a curtain 3, having marks or pointers 4 arrangedthereon, either by painting ory in some suitable manner, to provide anobjective point for the delivered ball. Passing under this curtain, thepointers 4 serving as a guide for the bowler, the ball, delivered withsufficient force, passes onto a curved runway composed of a series ofvertically-disposed slats 5, sufliciently far apart to receive the balland guide it vertically, upwardly, and forwardly.

framework, as shown at Fig. 3. A cushion Patent No. 787,161,

The front edges'of these slats are preferably beveled, as shown in Fig.4.

12 receives the struck or knocked-down pins. If a ball rolls off eitherside of the alley and is received in the curved guideways a at thesides, a bail will be operated; but the side bails are not provided withupward extensions, and consequently a pin will not be knocked down. If aball is received in either of the curved guideways b, the bail struckwill knock down either of the side pins. If a ball enters either of thecurved guideways c, the ball will strike two bails and knock down twopins on either side. If a ball enters either of the curved guideways d,the Vsecond pin on either side will be knocked down. a ball enterseither of the curved guideways e, the center and next adjacent pin oneither side will be knocked down. If a ball enters the middle guidewayf,it will strike an indeendently-mounted bail 13, hinged to the rame, andknock down all of the pins.` y This bail 13 on each side of its centerhas crank extensions 14, which are designed to engage the bails in linewith the side pins, so that in addition to the center the side pins arealso knocked down whenever a ball is delivered accurately so asto run upthe central curved guidewayf.

The above construction lends some zest to the game, as itrequiresconsiderable skill for the bowler to deliver the ball accuratelyso that it will reach the central curved guideway.l It is designed thatthe bowler shall throwy three balls, the game being counted the same astenpins, except that the number of pins which the bail may knock downbeing iive instead of ten, the value of a strike or spare being cut inhalf. It is therefore possible by observing the rules governing the gameof tenpins to make one hundred and fifty points.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that as the ball issues fromthe upper forward end of the curved guideways it will strike the bails 6or 6 and 13, as the case may be, and the ball is then received into anopen-ended box 15, whose bottom is covered with leather, felt, or someother sound-deadening material 16. The front wall ofthe box is alsoprovided with a cushion 17, and a cushion 18 is arranged along the box.The direction of rotation imparted to the ball in its travel along thealley and the upper rear edge of' IOO ICS

the curved `guideways is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, andconsequently when the ball is received on the cushion 16 the direcirotion of rotation of the ball is counter to its momentum, and unless theball is delivered with considerable force this counter rotation issucient to overcome the momentum, and consequently the ball will notstrike the cushion 1'7, but will be arrested on the cushion 16 and movedrearwardly down the incline provided by said cushion. Cushion 16terminates in a laterally-inclined runway 19, which extends to the sideof the frame and delivers the ball onto an inclined return-way 20,preferably located at the side of the alley. At the forward end of thealley this runway is provided with an upwardly-inclined track ending ina stall for the balls, placing them within convenient reach of theoperator.

To avoid the necessity of an attendant at the rear end of the alley toset up the pins when they are knocked down, I arrange a lever 22 at theforward end of the alley, which lever is connected to a chain or cable23, extending along the bottom of the horizontal portion of thereturn-runway 20 and thence upwardly at the rear end of the alley andforwardly, where it is connected to the arm 24, which arm is part of arestoring-bail 25, pivotally mounted on the framework at the rear end ofthe a paratus. This bail 25 is arranged so as to e under the pins whenthey are knocked down, as shown in Fig. 3, and when the lever is pulledforwardly this bail is lifted and restores the pins to verticalposition. The spring 26 returns the bail to its lowered position andalso restores the lever 22 to its normal position.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley, of a curvedrunway at the rear end of said alley, a bail suspended so as to hang infront of the upper extremity of said curved runway, and a hinged pinwith which said bail coperates,- substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having anupwardlyextending reiiex-curved ortion at its rear end, a plurality ofstrikers suspended in front of the terminus of said curved ortion, and aplurality of hinged pins witli) which said strikers coperate;substantially as described.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having anupwardly-extending reflex-curved portion at its rear end,

a plurality of strikers suspended in front of the terminus of saidcurved portion, whereby a ball may operate one or more of said suspendedin iront strikers, and a lurality of hinged pins with which said striKers coperate, substantially as described.

4. In a gaine apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley havingan upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, a set ofhinged pins, and means whereby all the pins of said set may be knockeddown simultaneously by a ball issuing from said curved portion,substantially as described.

5. In a gaine apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley havingan upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its reai end, a pluralityof hinged pins, and means whereby all of said hinged pins may he knockeddown by a ball issuing from said curved portion; substantially asdescribed.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having anupwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, a series ofbails,' 6 suspended in front of the terminus of said curved portion,said bails having upward extensions, a series of hinged pins which areengaged by the upward extensions of said bails, and a bail 13 havinglateral extensions whereby when said bail 13 is operated all of thebails 6 will be operated; substantially as described.

In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having anupwardlyextending reflex-curved portion composed. of vertically-arrangedspaced slats, bails of the upper ends of said slats, and hinged pinswith which said bails coperate; substantially as described.

S. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having ahorizontal portion, of an upwardlyextending reiiexcurved portion, saidcurved portion consisting of vertically-arranged spaced slats havingbeveled edges, whereby the ball is forced to travel in a straight lineafter entering the curved portion, and guiding-inarks arranged in frontof said curved portion; substantially as described.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having ahorizontal poi'- tion, an upwardly-extending reflex-curved portion atthe rear end thereof, said curved portion being composed ofvertically-arranged spaced slats, and a curtain arranged in front ofsaid slats and under which the ball passes, said curtain being providedwith objective marks; substantially as described.

10. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having anupwardly-extending reiiex-curved portion at its reai end, and areceiving-box having an inclined cushioning bottom wall and a pad on itsfront wall, and an exit-runway from said box substantially as described.

11. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having anupwardly-cxtending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, areceiving-box having an inclined laterally- IIO extending exit-channel,the bottom Wall of said receiving-box being inclined to deliver the ballin said channel, and a. ripping-surface on said bottom Wall whereby thecoun- .ter rotation of the ball is utilized to prevent momentum carryingthe ball against the for- Ward Wall of the box; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence oftwo Witnesses, ro this 20th dey of July, 1905. y

EUGENE FAHL.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, W. N. MATTHEWS.

